Breakfast in the classroom blasted as obesity contributor

NYC study shows students are using the program to eat two morning meals.

April 23, 2012

April 23—Breakfast in the classroom has gained steam in many districts but administrators at NYC Schools are fighting the program as possibly contributing to obesity.

New York City's health department put a halt to the program in some schools after a study found that the Breakfast in the Classroom program, now used in 381 of the city’s 1,750 schools, was problematic because some children might be “inadvertently taking in excess calories by eating in multiple locations”—in other words, having a meal at home, or snacking on the way to school, then eating again in school.

Today's Top Story

More From FoodService Director

To keep staff motivated, we locked them in a room together. As part of a midsemester training session, we formed work groups and sent them to a local Escape Room to see which team could play the game together most effectively and escape first. Not only was this training a great team-building experience, but it supported a local new business and gave our staff a memorable experience.

Senior leadership meets twice a year to do organizational talent planning for every position from the top down. We talk about who are the potential high-performers, and go through how they can grow. People are your differentiator—you need to take care of your assets, and your assets are your human resources.

Students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor will be served student-grown produce from the campus farm at dining halls this fall, M Live reports.

The dining team received its first batch of produce from UM’s on-campus farm in June, after students received the proper USDA certification to grow, harvest and deliver food to campus dining halls. In order to figure out what produce is needed, students communicate with the dining department weekly, and Michigan Dining purchases items accordingly.

"The students are involved from seed to plate," Executive Chef Frank Turchan...

Today’s colleges and universities know they should offer more than a large selection of breakfast cereals in the morning and chicken tenders at lunch to appeal to students. When it comes to what’s trending on campuses, here’s a look at what directors can tune into to boost engagement.

1. Expanded dining hours

Late-night options have long been a popular fixture on college campuses, but if it’s too late, students often choose to venture to off-campus retailers to satisfy their cravings. According to Technomic’s 2017 College & University Consumer Trend...

Trending stories

FoodService Director is the noncommercial operator's trusted source for profitability and innovation in a changing economic environment. This fast-paced, easy-to-read monthly publication delivers solutions and strategies to more than 45,000 highly targeted readers in all segments of noncommercial foodservice, including colleges, business & industry, contract management, schools, healthcare, senior living, correctional facilities and military. For the past 25 years, FoodService Director has served as the most readable and educational publication the market.